


Instant Messaging: Goodbye, Clara

by TheSaddleman



Series: Instant Messaging [14]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Psychic Paper, RPF in an SF context, a bit of angst, hidden thoughts, possible spoiler for Doctor Who 2017 Christmas special, real world and fictional world crossover, spoilers for Doctor Who Series 9, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 05:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13092951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSaddleman/pseuds/TheSaddleman
Summary: Clara Oswald, on the eve of events that will forever alter her destiny, receives one final psychic paper message from Jenna Coleman, the actress who plays her on television in another dimension.





	Instant Messaging: Goodbye, Clara

**Author's Note:**

> The following story, written only a couple of days before Peter Capaldi's final episode of Doctor Who aired, is an adjunct to my Instant Messaging series. In this story, we learn that Clara Oswald, (due to as-yet-unchronicled events) has been in contact with the actress Jenna Coleman, who plays her on TV in an alternate universe, via the psychic paper. With her friend Peter Capaldi soon to leave Doctor Who for good, Jenna realizes her connection to Clara may soon be coming to an end. 
> 
> As I write this I am not aware of whether or not Jenna will appear in the final Capaldi episode; I have written things ambiguous for this reason so while I did put a spoiler warning in the tags, there really is nothing here that should be considered a plot spoiler for the finale. (EDIT: Having now seen the relevant parts of the episode, I don't really see a need to change anything I wrote here.)
> 
> In terms of placement, this story takes place during Series 9 (its placement will become evident), and not long after the short story "Clara's Dream."

    Clara, are you there?

    Hello?

    Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara …

**OK, I’m awake!**

**Hello, Doctor.**

    Nope, not him.

**What?**

**Oh—Jenna!**

**How are you?**

    Can’t complain.

    Publicity for the Victoria Christmas special is in full swing.

    Just got back from New York and LA.

    Busy couple of weeks.

    You?

**Same, old, same old.**

**Doctor and I saved a planet.**

**Blew up a derelict spaceship that was headed for a colony of space monks.**

**And we found a place in Vancouver in 2004 that serves great sushi.**

**Oh, and he let me live out my dream of being a mermaid.**

    Seriously?

 **Well, kind of.**

**Long story.**

**So what do I owe the pleasure,**

**my ’ganger?**

    I still say this is very weird.

**Communicating via psychic paper?**

**Across dimensions?**

**Me, a time-travelling goddess at the side of a Time Lord?**

**You, an acting goddess who once played me on TV?**

    Don’t you find it weird?

**I think Harry Potter put it best:**

**After all these years,**

**I just sort of go with it.**

**So why’d you call me up?**

    Clara, I …

    ...

    This is probably the last time we’ll be able to do this.

**Why?**

    You told me we’d only be able to message 

    so long as we were connected

    through The Show.

**That’s how the Doctor explained it**

**the first time this happened.**

**I think he might have been making it up**

**as he went along.**

**Again.**

    Does he know we still do this? 

**Are you joking?**

**He’d have a fit.**

**He’d panic and claim we were**

**threatening the fabric of time.**

**Or whatever.**

**I tend to zone out**

**when he gets to that part.**

    Peter doesn’t believe me.

**What, you told him?**

    Unguarded moment at a convention. 

    He thought it was a joke. 

    So no worries.

**Like you talking to Victoria’s ghost?**

    That wasn’t a … 

    ...

    Never mind. 

    Things are changing soon.

    With The Show.

**The Show isn’t ending, is it?**

    It is for some people. 

    Including Peter.

**Oh, no.**

    I don’t think he wants to go. 

    But it’s time.

    And I guess once he’s gone

    and I’m gone

    that’s the end of this link. 

**So are you in Peter’s final episode?**

    Does it matter?

    Spoilers. 

**That’s River’s line.**

**Don’t use River’s line.**

    Sorry.

    You know I can’t tell you either way. 

**Fabric of Time, etc.**

    Yeah. 

**Just like you can’t tell me why you**

**left The Show in the first place.**

    Yeah. The Doctor was right about that.

    Too much info.

    Not a good thing.

**I can’t imagine**

**leaving the Doctor.**

**He needs me.**

**I doubt I’ll go on to become**

**Queen of England**

**like you.**

    You never know! 

**So this is the end, eh?**

**The psychic link will break**

**once the Doctor**

**or Peter, rather,**

**regenerates.**

    Yeah.

    If your Doctor is correct, anyway.

**Damn.**

**I was hoping to meet you again.**

**I’ve enjoyed your messages.**

**Your moral support.**

    Feeling good?

**A lot better now.**

**I think the Doctor and I…**

**…**

**…know where we stand**

**with each other a bit better.**

**A little better.**

    No confusion?

**No, still plenty of that.**

**Just less.**

**We had a thing happen**

**with the Zygons.**

**Remember them?**

**The Doctor thought I was dead**

**for a while.**

    You finally met Bonnie?

    I loved playing Bonnie. 

    I hope she wasn’t too hard on you. 

**You get used to mind control.**

**And she rocked the leather.**

    Thanks! 

**Heh, heh!**

    I always wondered what happened after 

    the Doctor said, ‘I’ll be the judge of time.’

    For Peter and me,

    the director just called cut and the story ended.

    But the Doctor seemed so sad.

**He was.**

**After, I nearly got him**

**to tell me**

**how he really feels about me.**

    So was I right? 

**That he’s in love with me, too?**

    Yeah. Peter won’t believe me. 

    Thinks it’s just on Clara, er, you. 

    That the Doctor is above 

    falling in love. 

**Well, you tell Peter**

**and that other guy, Muffet...**

    Moffat… 

**…Tell them that the Doctor’s head over heels.**

**I just haven’t gotten him to admit it yet.**

    Seriously? 

    What do you have to do, 

    snog him silly? 

**It might take that.**

**Some day, I’ll crack the code.**

    So what’s next for you? 

**I’m trying to get him to take me**

**to a space restaurant.**

    There’s no such thing as a space restaurant. 

**Huh?**

    Sorry, carry on. 

**He’s also talked about taking me**

**to the second most beautiful garden planet**

**in the galaxy.**

**Maybe that’s where**

**he'll finally come clean with me.**

    Oh. 

**What oh?**

    Nothing. 

**What OH, Jenna?**

    Forget it. You’ll have a lot of fun. 

    I guarantee it.

    Just promise me one thing. 

**What’s that?**

    ...

    ...

**Hello?**

    ...

**Alternate universe to Jenna Coleman...**

    Enjoy every moment. 

    Because such moments never last forever. 

    I loved being you, Clara.

    I loved hanging out with my mate, Peter. 

    Life goes on, and now I love being Victoria. 

    But it’s never the same. 

    It’s like Christmas, remember?

    Every Christmas could be last Christmas. 

**Sure you can’t pass along any hints?**

    … 

    … 

**Jenna?**

    Have you actually told the Doctor 

    how you feel about him? 

    I mean, really feel? 

**I’ve said ‘I love you’ to him.**

    After the mummy thing? 

**Yeah.**

    You know he didn’t realize 

    you said it to him, right? 

**…**

**…**

**Yeah.**

**But I also kinda said it at the Drum.**

    I guess.

    But sometimes I love you isn't enough.

    I can’t tell you

    what is going to happen,

    but there will come a moment...

    You’ll know. 

**And then?**

    ...

    ...

    ...

**Jenna, and then?**

    Don’t hold back.

    Sorry, Clara. That’s all I can say. 

**...**

**The Doctor just texted me.**

**Says he’s picking me up.**

**Something about taking me to**

**check out a space station**

**orbiting Neptune.**

**Sounds romantic, eh?**

    Sleep No More… 

**Pardon?**

    Oops! That wasn’t supposed to go out.

**Was it a good episode, then?**

    Marmite.

    But I had fun making it.

    Although …

    Clara, are you wearing tights?

**No, it’s summer.**

**Sun dress.**

    Put your tights on. 

    Trust me.

**Thanks, Jenna.**

**So this is goodbye, then?**

    Guess so. 

    Just … be amazing, OK?

**I’ll try.**

**You be amazing yourself.**

    I’ll try.

**Give Peter a big hug for me, OK?**

    If you hug the Doctor for me.

**I will.**

**Goodbye, Jenna.**

    Goodbye, Clara.

**Author's Note:**

> Vancouver, the sushi and the mermaid reference my recent story "Clara's Dream".
> 
> Jenna advising Clara wear tights references the fact that Clara was originally to have worn a lighter outfit in Sleep No More, but it was changed when it was realized that part of the episode was to be filmed in an actual freezer.
> 
> I might write a story telling of how Clara and Jenna first communicate at a later date. Right now it's meant to be a bit of a "joined in progress" thing. And it's meant to represent a bit of a goodbye from Jenna to a character who - regardless of whether she appears in Capaldi's finale or not - she may or may not play again.


End file.
